Seven Cultural Capitals Set to Shine in 2014

Cape Town, South Africa (Photo: Thinkstock/iStock)

Caroline Costello's travel accomplishments include surviving a 2 a.m. whitewater rafting excursion in the Canadian wilderness, successfully biking from Dusseldorf to Cologne without a map, and gaining access to a covert pizza speakeasy in New Orleans.

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A new crew of cultural capitals is stepping into the global spotlight. Up-and-coming cities and regions across the continents—from Africa to Europe to Asia—have won prestigious capital of culture nods, which honor a local commitment to design, heritage, literacy, or even sports. Happily, travelers win too. Anyone visiting reigning capitals of culture this year can expect an exciting time, to put it mildly, as locals celebrate their accolades with commemorative gatherings and once-in-a-lifetime events.

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Umea, Sweden

Umea snagged the European Capital of Culture distinction (along with Riga) for 2014; this subarctic city, which was founded in the 17th century, is a fast-growing urban hub where a new cultural visitors' center, a new pedestrian subway, and major airport renovations are reshaping the burgeoning locale. Through all this growth, city planners are placing a strong emphasis on cultural preservation and the arts.

Planning a trip? Go during summer, when daylight lasts for nearly 24 hours at the peak of the season, to bask in the midnight sun. Or plan a winter trip and catch a glimpse of the spectacular northern lights.

Umea, Sweden

Umea snagged the European Capital of Culture distinction (along with Riga) for 2014; this subarctic city, which was founded in the 17th century, is a fast-growing urban hub where a new cultural visitors' center, a new pedestrian subway, and major airport renovations are reshaping the burgeoning locale. Through all this growth, city planners are placing a strong emphasis on cultural preservation and the arts.

Planning a trip? Go during summer, when daylight lasts for nearly 24 hours at the peak of the season, to bask in the midnight sun. Or plan a winter trip and catch a glimpse of the spectacular northern lights.

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The capital of Islamic culture for 2014 is Sharjah, part of the United Arab Emirates. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation selected Sharjah for its remarkable efforts to preserve Arabic heritage within the ancient city. Sharjah has been a settlement for thousands of years but flourished into a modern city when oil was discovered here in the 1970s. It is perhaps best known for its multitude of mosques—it has about 1,000. The city also boasts more than 20 museums, including the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization, a recently renovated landmark that contains more than 5,000 rare artifacts and ancient manuscripts.

Port Harcourt, Nigeria

UNESCO chose Nigeria's riverside city Port Harcourt as the World Book Capital for 2014—an award that honors the city's efforts to promote books and literacy. According to the organization's selection committee, Port Harcourt was chosen "on account of the quality of its program, in particular its focus on youth and the impact it will have on improving Nigeria's culture of books, reading, writing, and publishing to improve literacy rates."

Riga, Latvia

The Latvian capital of Riga—one of the biggest cities along the Baltic Sea—is entering the spotlight in 2014 as one of two European Capitals of Culture. The official unveiling happens in mid-January, when an enormous human chain will transfer books from the city's old library to the new national library, Gaismas Pils (which means "Castle of Light"). Other celebratory events taking place at the new national library include an exhibition on the past 500 years of the printed word.

Colima, Mexico

The American Capital of Culture for 2014 is the Mexican state of Colima, which borders the Pacific Ocean. In Colima, you'll find the state's eponymous capital, a palm-filled historical colonial city known as the "City of Palms"; several majestic volcanoes; and scattered small cobblestoned villages. On the coast, the picturesque resort town of Manzanillo, which was the first shipyard in Latin America, is known for its world-class sailfishing. Despite an abundance of old-world charm and golden-sand beaches fringing calm waters, tourists are not so prevalent in this less-traveled section of Mexico.

Cape Town, South Africa

Creativity is king in Cape Town. The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design selected the legislative capital of South Africa as the World Design Capital for 2014, beating finalists Bilbao and Dublin. Cape Town's commitment to artistic innovation and design thinking will be on display as the city launches a year-long celebratory showcase of local projects under the theme "Live Design. Transform Life." A total of 450 projects—from a roof garden blooming with local plants to pop-up film screenings and the construction of a giant Christmas tree out of recycled materials—are set to galvanize Cape Town in 2014.

Cardiff, Wales

The European Capital of Sports award, given by the European Capitals of Sports Association (ACES), honors cities where local policy initiatives protect and further the development of sports infrastructure to improve the physical fitness and quality of life of locals. Cardiff won the title for 2014, due, according to ACES, to the city's having "firmly established itself as a leading city for sport, offering state-of-the-art stadiums and facilities including the Millennium Stadium, the SWALEC (Cricket) Stadium, and Cardiff International Sport Stadium." In celebration, Cardiff is getting into the game by hosting a variety of sporting events, including an LGBT football tournament, and even street-dance competitions.

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